Rethinking the Role of the First Language in L۲ Acquisition: Transfer, Cross-linguistic Influence, and Conceptual Change

For decades, the role of the first language (L۱) in second language (L۲) acquisition has been primarily conceptualized through the lens of cross-linguistic influence (CLI), often reduced to negative transfer (errors) or positive transfer (facilitation) based on surface-level similarities between languages. However, a paradigm shift is underway. Drawing on a systematic synthesis of ۳۶ recent empirical and theoretical works published between ۲۰۲۵ and ۲۰۲۶, this review argues that the most innovative frontier in CLI research lies in conceptual transfer the influence of Ll-based cognitive categories, spatial schemas, metaphorical mappings, gestural patterns, and prosodic framing on L۲ processing and production. Evidence reveals that transfer is not merely a linguistic epiphenomenon but a deeply embedded cognitive process affecting metacognitive regulation, self-regulated learning strategies, executive functions, and event construal. Furthermore, bidirectional cross-linguistic interference in spatial cognition and the recalibration of phonetic categories challenge the unidirectional view of CLI. Pedagogically, this reconceptualization revitalizes the role of translation, idiom instruction, cross-linguistic awareness in teacher training, and Al-driven personalized learning. The review proposes a four-level Hierarchical Model of Cross-linguistic Transfer (HMCT) distinguishing surface, representational, conceptual, and strategic transfer. It concludes that a mature theory of L۲ acquisition must integrate conceptual transfer as a core explanatory construct, moving beyond the traditional dichotomy of interference versus facilitation.

کلیدواژه ها:

conceptual transfer ، cross-linguistic influence ، first language role ، second language acquisition ، cognitive linguistics ، self-regulated learning